Author Unwind and Wind Up

Author Unwinding

I’ve been working 7 days a week since well probably February. I’m now cutting back to 6.5 days a week. Sundays will be my half day.

I need to take some time for me. To unwind.

LOL. I know half a day sounds like so little but it is a lot right now.

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After the whirlwind of Killer Nashville and RJ Julia’s, I got to celebrate my best friend’s 36th birthday at his mom’s beach house.

I was sitting on the back wall, staring out at the ocean and I realized I never made it into the water this summer. I meant to. I hoped to. And it didn’t happen.

Rather than bemoan the missed opportunity, I went inside and slipped on my bathing suit.

I walked down the road to where the beach has buttery soft sandbars and I waded in.

And stayed there for 2 hours.

Mind you it was low tide so the water barely hit my hip. But I didn’t mind as I bounced under waves and floated around.

I just wanted a little time with the ocean.

Didn’t matter that I was out there alone.

I frolicked like a little kid.

And when I walked back to the beach house, I felt like I’d done everything I wanted this summer.

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Author Winding Up

I’ve got a 50 minute workshop at CT Fictionfest, a 30 minute workshop at the Cascades Library in VA, and an author talk and reading at the Silas Bronson Library in CT.

I’ve been working on each one since July. And I’m in the fine tuning stage. Practicing the Powerpoints for the workshops. Seeing where I flub things in my presentation and smoothing it out.

I’m nervous. Two presentations and an author talk & reading in seven days is not easy. But practicing is all I can do to ease my jitters.

So I keep preparing. And preparing. And preparing.

Fingers crossed, these talks go well and I also sell some books.

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In honor of a very awesome review from Publishers Weekly for The Six Train Train to Wisconsin, I’m also giving away one signed copy via Goodreads. The Six Train giveaway ends today.